Global Scans · UK · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Achieving Brexit will dominate the UK's agenda up to and beyond 2020 with uncertainty rife until clear decisions are made on the form of Great Britain's future relationship with the EU and the rest of the world.

• [New] We see the potential for a Bank of Japan rate hike; expect the Bank of England to cut; and think the European Central Bank will hold rates steady, even as it turns more hawkish. BlackRock
• [New] A large part of northern New South Wales could receive six-hourly rainfall totals of between 50 and 100 millimeters. SBS News
• [New] UK - We expect the Bank of England to lower rates by 25 bp, taking Bank Rate to 3.75%. ABN AMRO Bank
• [New] Up to 1,200 UK and US personnel, their families, and five nuclear-powered submarines will be stationed there. Daily Mail
• [New] The number of people who agreed that the trilateral deal with the US and UK could help keep Australia secure from a military threat from China surged compared to last year. Daily Mail
• [New] The UK would hike defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, funded by cuts to the foreign aid budget. Daily Mirror
• [New] OpenAI's new model, GPT-5.2, now outperforms junior analysts in finance tasks, putting an estimated 27,000 UK banking roles at risk. City AM
• [New] Statista projects UK crypto users to reach 30.1 million by 2026. Crypto Daily
• [New] UK insolvencies are expected to stabilise in 2025 but remain around 31% above pre-pandemic levels into 2026. CIN
• [New] The National Weather Service warned of hazardous travel conditions from the Great Lakes through the northern mid-Atlantic and southern New England, with the potential for tree damage and power outages. Silive
• [New] To strengthen the UK's position as a leading defence exporter, the UK recently joined the Agreement on Defence Export Controls, alongside France, Germany and Spain, which will make it easier for British business to export to partner nations. GOV.UK
• [New] In dollar terms, UK GDP per capita will rise 3.7% to $58,775 in 2026 and a further 8.4% in the four years to 2030. City AM
• [New] The British economy will fall from its current rank of 19th to 21st in 2026 and down further still to 22nd by 2030. City AM
• [New] In broad terms, IHT will not apply to the foreign assets of individuals unless and until they have been resident in the UK for 10 out of the last 20 years. Tax Journal
• [New] For GBP / USD, that backdrop validates a strategy of favouring sterling strength as long as the UK avoids new domestic shocks and global risk sentiment stays broadly constructive. investing.com
• [New] Elections to local councils, the Scottish parliament and the Welsh Senedd will give millions of voters across the UK a chance to express party preferences. The Guardian
• [New] Official figures show the UK population is growing, largely as a result of migration, but also ageing, with 27% of the population expected to be 65 or older by 2072. The Guardian
• [New] As the UK continues to heat up - driven by humanity's greenhouse gas emissions - scientists expect the UK to experience more weather extremes. BBC News
• [New] UK cyber attacks will inevitably increase. City AM
• [New] The UK government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced today that it will be issuing new guidance to prohibit the live boiling of conscious crustaceans like crabs and lobsters. BusinessMole
• [New] The UK-Ukraine production model will likely expand to Poland and Baltic states, creating a distributed counter-UAS manufacturing network that can surge production beyond Russian attack volumes while establishing NATO-standard interoperability protocols. Drone Warfare
• [New] EMEA markets are on the rise, with the UK leading Europe at 5.7% growth, while Italy, France, and Germany see moderate acceleration through digital adoption and event-driven opportunities. Marketing-Interactive
• [New] Bangladesh will retain duty-free, quota-free status until 2029, providing continued preferential access to major export markets such as the European Union and the United Kingdom. United States Department of State

Last updated: 30 December 2025